Device for introducing and circulating a gas under pressure into an enclosure



B. BOUET 3,255,751 DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING AND CIRCULATING A GAS June 14,1966 UNDER PRESSURE INTO AN ENCLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6,1961 INVENTOR Eff/V1480 50057" June 14, 1966 B. BOUET 3,255,751

DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING AND CIRCULATING A GAS UNDER PRESSURE INTO ANENCLOSURE Filed 061; e, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I 35/94/416030067 BY ,QWIJM ATTORNEYS United States Patent I 3,255,751 DEVICE FORINTRODUCING AND CIRCULATING A GAS UNDER PRESSURE INTO AN ENCLOSUREBernard Bouet, 65 Rue La Boetie, Paris, France Filed Oct. 6, 1961, Ser.No. 143,485 Claims priority, application France, Oct. 10, 1960,

840,704 Claims. 01. 128-204 The present invention relates to a devicefor introducing a gas under pressure into an enclosure and forcirculating it therein under a predetermined pressure. A deviceaccording to the invention comprises a source of gas at a pressure atleast equal to the predetermined pressure, means for connecting saidsource to an enclosure at least whilst said predetermined pressureremains unattained therein, and a blower the delivery and suction endsof which communicate with said enclosure at least when saidpredetermined pressure is attained therein.

Such a device enables an atmosphere of predetermined characteristics tobe created within an enclosure and to be maintained economically undereasily controllable conditions. A device according to the inventionfurther enables a closed-circuit physical and chemical treatment ofsubstances disposed in said enclosure to be conducted under the mostfavourable conditions, but it is particularly well suited for use withphysical therapy appliances and notably for such treatments as aredesigned to eliminate unwanted fat by perspiration.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, thegas circulating in the enclosure passes through means for monitoring atleast one of the gas characteristics,examples being the temperature, therelative humidity, or the proportion of at least one active substance.(such as oxygen, for instance) contained in said gas.

In a device according to the invention, the blower may also constitutethe source of gas under pressure, in which case switching means areprovided to place the suction end of the blower in communication with anoutside supply of gas during such time as said predetermined pressure isnot attained in the chamber, and with the interior of the enclosureafter said pressure is reached. The switching means may comprise asingle valve which selectively obturates the ports through which thesuction end of the blower communicates with the interior of theenclosure and with the outside source of gas respectively, biasing meansbeing provided to continuously urge said valve towards the positionwherein the port communicating with the enclosure is obturated. Thesevalve biasing means are tared so that switching should take place whenthe predetermined pressure is reached in the enclosure. In analternative method of construction, the switching means may comprise twovalves the biasing means for which are tared differently, the firstvalve controlling communication with the outside supply ,of gas andopening in response to the underpressure created by the blower suctioneffect when the second valve is closed, whilst the second valve controlscommunication with the enclosure and opens under the combined effect ofthe predetermined pressure required within said enclosure and theunderpressure prevailing at the suction end of the blower when the firstvalve is open. At least one of said valve urging means may be of themagnetic type.

The gas used may be ordinary atmospheric air or some gas such as oxygen,or may even be a gaseous mixture; it may furthermore be charged, ifnecessary, with active substances such as substances dispersed in theaerosol state.

The enclosure may consist of a rigid box or an inflatable envelope madeof resilient material, an example being a perspiration bag. In thelatter application, in particular, it will be found of advantage for themeans used Patented June 14, 1966 to control one at least of thecomponent parts of the device to be located within said enclosure inorder that the user may be able to control, at will, the conditionsprevailing within the enclosure during treatments.

The invention will be better understood from the description whichfollows with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, byway of example and not of limitation, several alternative embodiments ofthe invention.

In the drawings filed herewith:

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic view of one embodiment of theinvention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic views of two alternative embodiments of theinvention, in which blower suction is controlled by a single valve;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment.

of the invention, using a blower comprising two control valves, and

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration showing a patient using an inflatableperspiration bag equipped with the device shown in- FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the device illustrated comprises an enclosure 1within which is disposed a blower 2 the suction and delivery ends ofwhich communicate directly with the inside of said enclosure. A secondblower 4, arranged externally, sucks in air from outside and delivers itinto the enclosure 1 through a pipe 3.

When the blower 4 is set in operation it delivers air into the enclosure1 until the pressure therein is equal to the maximum delivery pressure.At that point, the blower 4 operates virtually under zero outputconditions and only delivers air if and when the pressure in theenclosure 1 drops (through a leakage, a ditference in temperature,condensation, 'etc.). In contradistinction, the internal blower 2maintains a constant air circulation inside the enclosure 1, virtuallyregardless of the pressure prevailing.

In the device shown in FIG. 2, the single blower consists of a turbine 5the delivery end of which communicates with the enclosure 1 and thesuction end with a valve unit 6. Said valve unit 6 houses a valve 7having dual operative faces adapted to selectively obturate a seat 8surrounding a vent port or a seat 9 surrounding a port whichcommunicates with a pipe debou-ching into the enclosure 1. A spring 11constantly urges the valve 7 into the position wherein the pipe 10 issealed off. A permanent magnet 41 arranged in the region of the seat 9attracts the valve 7 which, to that end, is made of some magnetic metal.A section of the suction pipe 10 is immersed in a tank 12 which isfilled with a liquid maintained at the required temperature. Aninjection pipe 13 debouches into the delivery end of the turbine 5 andallows injection, into the enclosure 1, of the desired fluid, examplesof which are oxygen or a chemically active aerosol.

When inoperative, the valve 7 is applied against the seat 9 andobturates the pipe 10, thereby preventing communication between theinside of enclosure 1 and the suction end of the turbine 5, which isconsequently vented by virtue of the valve 7 being lifted off its seat8. When the turbine 5 is started up air under pressure penetrates intothe enclosure 1 and, when the pressure prevailing therein reaches apredetermined value sufficient to thrust away the valve 7 cooperatingwith the outlet end of the pipe 10, said valve 7 is applied against itsseat 8, thereby cutting off communication with the open air and ensuringclosed-circuit operation through the pipe 10, the turbine 5 and theenclosure 1. In the event of a pressure drop in the enclosure 1, thevalve 7 lifts off its seat 8 and allows make-up air to penetrate untilthe predetermined pressure is re-established. Should the pressure dropwhen the turbine is halted, the valve 7 is again applied against theseat 9, whereupon the device is once more in the inoperativeconfiguration.

The device illustrated in FIG. 3 likewise comprises a single blower 14the delivery end of which is connected to the enclosure 1 via a pipe 15inside which is arranged an electrical heating resistor 16, a singlevalve 17 is accommodated in a valve unit 18 at the suction end of saidblower 14. The valve 17 is adapted to pivotally occupy either of twopositions, one of which is shown in solid lines and corresponds to theinoperative position wherein said valve 17 seals off the end of a pipe19 which communicates with the inside of the enclosure 1 through themedium of a multiple-element filter 20; in the other position, shown inchain-dotted lines, the valve 17 seals oif the end of a further pipe 42connected to an outside supply of gas. A coil spring (not shown)constantly urges the valve 17 into its inoperative position, shown insolid lines. A source of electric power 21 is connected across the motor22 of blower 14 and the resistor 16 via contactors 23 and 24 arrangedinside the enclosure 1. An operator inside the enclosure 1 is thus ableto control start-up of the blower 14 and the temperature rise in the gasdelivered into said enclosure 1. The elements of the filter 20 retainforeign matter contained in the air circulating in a closed circuit.These filter elements can if necessary be impregnated with some reactivesubstance such as quicklime should it be desired to eliminate carbondioxide gas, or with some hygroscopic substance such as silica gelshould it be desired to eliminate humidity.

The device as hereinbefore described operates in the same fashion asthat illustrated in FIG. 2.

In the device shown in FIG. 4, the blower 25 is disposed wholly withinthe enclosure 1 and air is sucked in by a turbine with radial blades 26through an axial suction pipe 27. A first valve 28 vents the said pipe27 when a sufficient depression is created by the blower 25 in the pipe27, whilst a second valve 29 places the said pipe 27 in communicationwith the enclosure 1 as soon as the pressure therein reaches a valuesuflicient for said valve 29 to open. At that point, the depressioninside the pipe 27 drops to a value below that required for opening ofthe valve 28, so that the latter closes and air consequently circulatesin a closed circuit inside the enclosure 1.

In the application of the invention as ilustrated in FIG.

5, a patient 30 is placed inside a plastic bag 31 which fits sealinglyround his neck through the pressure exerted by an inflatable strip 32.The blower 25 is disposed at one end of the bag 31, thus ensuring acirculation of air under pressure within the enclosure 31. An electricalheating resistor placed inside the tube 27 allows this air to be heatedto the required temperature. A control box 33 allows the patient tocontrol the current fed to the heating resistor and the speed of theblower 25 at will from inside the bag 31. I

It is to be clearly understood that, without departing from the scope ofthe invention, manymodifications to suit the particular applicationenvisaged'and which are fully accessible to the specialist in the artmay be made to the embodiments described hereinabove with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for introducing a gas under pressure into an enclosure andfor circulating it therein while main taining a predetermined pressurewithin said enclosure, said device comprising an enclosure, a blowerhaving an inlet and outlet, said outlet being permanently connected tothe interior space of said enclosure, the delivery pressure of saidblower being higher than said predetermined pressure; valve meansmovable between a first position in which the inlet of said blower isconnected to a gas source outside of said enclosure, and a secondposition in which said blower inlet is connected to said interior space;and means maintaining said valve means in said first position only whenthe pressure in said interior space is lower than said predeterminedpressure.

2. A device for introducing a gas under pressure into an enclosure andfor circulating it therein while maintaining a predetermined pressurewithin said enclosure, said device comprising an enclosure, a blowerhaving an inlet and outlet, said outlet being permanently connected tothe interior space of said enclosure, the delivery pressure of saidblower being higher than said predetermined pressure; a valve movablebetween a first position wherein the inlet of said blower is connectedto a gas source, and a second position wherein said blower inlet isconnected to said interior space, said valve being exposed in said firstposition to the pressure prevailing in said interior space, saidpressure tending to urge said valve towards said second position; andbiasing means urging said valve towards said first position and beingadapted to maintain said valve in said first position when the pressurebuilt up by said blower in said interior space is lower than saidpredetermined pressure.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 and including means for conditioningsaid gas.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3, wherein said conditioning meanscomprise temperature controlling means arranged in the path of said gasbetween said inner space of the enclosure and said blower inlet.

5. The combination claimed in claim 3 wherein said conditioning meanscomprise injection means adapted to inject a selected substance intosaid gas, and arranged in the path of said gas between said bloweroutlet and said inner space of the enclosure.

6. A device for introducing a gas under pressure into an enclosure andfor circulating it therein while maintaining a predetermined pressurewithin said enclosure, said device comprising an enclosure, a blowerhaving an inlet and outlet, said outlet being permanently connected tothe interior space of said enclosure, the delivery pressure of saidblower being substantially higher than said predetermined pressure; avalve made of magnetic material and movable between a first positionwherein the inlet of said blower is connected to a gas source and asecond position wherein said blower inlet is connected to said interiorspace, said valve being exposed insaid first position to the pressureprevailing in said interior space, said pressure tending to urge saidvalve towards said second position; a biasing spring urging said valvetowards said first position; and a magnet arranged adjacent the locationof said valve in said first position and cooperating with said spring tomaintain said valve in said first position when the pressure built insaid interior space is lower than said predetermined pressure.

7. A device for introducing a gas under pressure intoan enclosure andfor circulating it therein while maintain ing a predetermined pressurewithin said enclosure, said device comprising an enclosure, a blowerhaving an inlet and outlet, said outlet being permanently connected tothe interior space of said enclosure, the delivery pressure of saidblower being higher than said predetermined pressure; a first valvedisposed between the inlet of said blower and a gas source, andresponsive to the under pressure produced at said blower inlet to movefrom a closed position to an opened position in which said first valveconnects said inlet to said gas source; first biasing means urging saidfirst valve towards its closed position in which said first valvedisconnects said inlet from said source; a second valve disposed betweensaid blower inlet and said interior space, and responsive to the jointetfects of said under-pressure and the pressure in said interior spaceto move from a closed position to an opened position in which saidsecond valve connects said inlet to said interior space; second biasingmeans urging said second valve towards its closed position in which saidsecond valve disconnects said inlet from said interior space, said firstand second biasing means being adapted to maintain said second valve ina closed position while allowing said first valve to occupy its openedposition when the pressure built up by said blower in said interiorspace is lower than said predetermined pressure, and to maintain saidfirst valve in its closed position while allowing said second valve tomove into its opened position when the pressure built up by said blowerin said interior space attains a value equal to said predeterminedpressure.

8. In combination, an enclosure, a device for introducing conditionedgas under pressure into said enclosure and for circulating saidgastherein while maintaining it at a predetermined pressure within saidenclosure, said device comprising a blower having an inlet and outletand driven by an electric motor, said blower having its outletpermanently connected to the inner space of said enclosure, and thedelivery pressure of said blower being substantially higher than saidpredetermined pressure; valve means for connecting the inlet of saidblower to a source of gas outside of said enclosure when the pressurebuilt up by said blower in said inner space is lower than saidpredetermined pressure, and for connecting said blower inlet to saidinner space while disconnecting said inlet from said source when thepressure built in said inner space is equal to said predeterminedpressure; means for conditioning said gas; and control means forcontrolling said electric motor and said conditioning means.

9. The combination claimed in claim 8, wherein said conditioning meanscomprise electric heating means arranged in the path of said gas betweensaid blower outlet and said inner space of the enclosure.

10. The combination claimed in claim 9, wherein said conditioning meanscomprise filter means arranged in the path of said gas between saidinner space of the enclosure and said blower inlet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 261,598 7/1882Goldberg 128-367 X 1,224,180 5/1917 Lake M 128-204 1,434,103 10/1922Lest-2mg 128-204 X 1,694,858 12/1928 Landon 128-367 1,951,904 3/1934Garshelis 128400 X 2,276,371 3/1942 Cooper 128204 X 2,302,023 11/1942Glasser 128204 2,353,906 7/1944 Kirschbaum 128-204 2,772,421 12/1956Friend 128370 X 2,905,071 9/1959 Krueger 98-15 2,986,989 6/1961 Mauldin98-15 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,557 6/1931 Austria.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

BRODER, Examiners.

1. A DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING A GAS UNDER PRESSURE INTO AN ENCLOSURE ANDFOR CIRCULATING IT THEREIN WHILE MAINTAINING A PREDETERMINED PRESSUREWITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AN ENCLOSURE, A BLOWERHAVING AN INLET AND OUTLET, SAID OUTLET BEING PERMANENTLY CONNECTED TOTHE INTERIOR SPACE OF SAID ENCLOSURE, THE DELIVERY PRESSURE OF SAIDBLOWER BEING HIGHER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED PRESSURE; VALVE MEANSMOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THE INLET OF SAID BLOWER ISCONNECTED TO A GAS SOURCE OUTSIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE, AND A SECONDPOSITION IN WHICH SAID BLOWER INLET IS CONNECTED TO SAID INTERIOR SPACE;AND MEANS MAINTAINING SAID VALVE MEANS IN SAID FIRST POSITION ONLY WHENTHE PRESSURE IN SAID INTERIOR SPACE IS LOWER THAN SAID PREDETERMINEDPRESSURE.